ron-hustvedts-blog

The dangers of driving through the ice and tips to avoid it

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:53:43 +0100

    It had been a good day ice fishing for Vince Meyer and his wife Dawn. There was slush on top of the ice but Vince’s 36-inch auger was close to bottoming out when he drilled holes earlier that day and there were plenty of other vehicles on the ice. As they drove off the lake on a plowed road, the possibility of driving through was not on their mind.
    Vince’s biggest concern was keeping an eye out for those slush puddles because a few cars the weekend before had gotten swamped in a large puddle. Slush is a reality while ice fishing and puddles can be several feet deep. “We were driving out when suddenly the front axle was in several feet of water—I thought we hit one of those slush puddles,” he said.
    A seasoned ice angler, Vince had seen people break through and knew when it happens there’s barely time to open the door and exit. “Then the water started coming up over the hood and I realized we were still going down,” he said.
    With his window already down, he was able to lower it enough to bail out without opening the door. As a vehicle descends, water pressure often makes doors difficult to open until the pressure lessens as the vehicle fills with water. “I exited the cab and rolled onto the shelf of ice that was still there as the vehicle slid down,” he said.
    Vince rolled away from the hole a few feet, wet only from the chest on down, and turned around hoping to see his wife looking back at him from the opposite side of the ice.
    She wasn’t there.
    Because his window had been open, the water rushed into his vehicle very quickly causing it to sink fast. As he watched the tailgate slip below the surface of the water, floatable items inside the topper bobbed to the surface. “The truck was well below when miraculously my wife popped up too and I helped her out of the water,” he said.
    By his best estimates, the entire ordeal took less than a minute. Among the other items bobbing on the surface was a bag containing his GPS unit. It still worked and he punched in the coordinates before they left the ice so they could notify the sheriff and start the process of recovering the vehicle.
    “It was quite terrifying and until it happens you don’t think it could happen to you,” he said.



Living in lake country through winter means dealing with snow and ice. To some it is an unavoidable annoyance while to others it is paradise made for recreation, celebrations and events including the world’s largest ice fishing contest. A frozen lake resembles an oversized field with open access to all. The concept boggles the minds of those from warmer climates who call the ice “hard water.”

Because we so thoroughly enjoy the lakes 365 days of the year, many of us have become complacent of the inherent dangers. The term “hard water” tends to put ice into a unique perspective revealing the fact that it is always dangerous. “Is the ice safe yet?” is a common question heard in the wintertime. Even though most know that ice is never safe, it shows that at some point we believe the ice is thick enough to be considered safe.

The number of people breaking through ice in Minnesota has been going down over the years. Throughout the winter, local sheriff offices track ice levels, post “Thin Ice” signs, approve on-ice events, and help with rescue and recovery efforts. Several area sheriff’s interviewed said they believe fewer people are breaking through the ice because there’s more awareness about ice safety, “The DNR puts a lot of information out there, you hear radio messages about it and they talk about it on fishing shows,” said the Crow Wing County Sheriff.

Getting the word out is something the DNR has focused on since the 1980s when ice fatalities were high. “The worst year for ice fatalities was the winter of 1982-83 with a total of 22 fatalities,” said Kim Elverum, DNR boat and water safety coordinator.

    Bill Matthies runs the School of Diving’s Inland Commercial Diver Training Center on Washington Street in Brainerd and has been recovering vehicles for over 50 years. He’s also noticed a drop in the number of vehicles going through the ice attributing the drop to a combination of better marking of problem areas and a more educated public.
    When a vehicle goes through the ice, it is the responsibility of the owner to remove it as quickly as possible. The cost for removing a car or truck runs over $300, Matthies said. Once it is pulled out, the insurance company usually labels it “totaled.” Most insurance policies do not cover the removal process nor will they replace the vehicle.
    Another specialist who gets called into action when a vehicle goes through the ice is your local tow truck driver. Clarence Turner, owner of Turner Towing in Nisswa, has been pulling cars up and out of the ice for almost 50 years. He has pulled hundreds of vehicles from the ice all over the state and said every one is a unique challenge.
    The removal process generally begins with the driver assessing the situation from shore. He’ll utilize a local expert who knows the lake to help him drive out on ice thick enough for his wrecker. If the overall ice situation is tricky, he’ll stop frequently to drill with an auger and measure ice thickness. Once he arrives at the hole where the vehicle went through, he’ll check the area to determine the best place for removal. Often times this involves drilling a thin channel for the chain to run through as the vehicle is moved to a better location for removal. A large hole is cut in the ice where it will be removed and the vehicle is brought up out of the ice completely before being set down on the flatbed for removal. The entire process can take several hours and often involves a diver to secure the chain to the vehicle.

    Vince and his wife still enjoy ice fishing and have put the experience behind them though going through is always at the forefront of his mind. “The first time I went back onto the ice was freaky and weird but jeez, if you want to fish a big lake you have to get out there with a vehicle so I’ve put it behind me—I’m just happy to be alive,” he said.

Avoid driving through this winter
    The easiest way to avoid driving through the ice is to not drive on it in the first place. That’s great for some, but for those who must drive on the ice here’s some advice:

Watch out for areas near creek mouths, channels, springs and narrows where ice levels can remain thin no matter how cold it gets.
Avoid pressure ridges and ice heaves. If unsure how to identify them check with the DNR or a local baitshop.
Drive slowly so you can easily stop.
Check with the DNR and local baitshops for a report on ice conditions.
Don’t drive on the ice at night.
Stay on established trails.
Keep a pair of ice rescue picks.
Wear a life jacket (really).

'Tis the early season for ice fishing action

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 04:40:14 +0100

    The ice-fishing season is so close you can feel it. With the first signs of ice on smaller lakes, it won’t be too before ice anglers across the state are drilling holes, dropping lines and yanking out fish.
    Early season ice fishing is a lot of fun for a lot of reasons. For one, the bite is definitely decent—more often than it’s slow though early season is never as good as late season.
    Another reason is that there are very few other ice anglers on the water. The diehards are definitely out there, not to mention the crazies who the rest of us rely on to determine if the ice is thick enough or not. But even including those folks, the fishing pressure is light in early season and that means the fish are less likely to be spread out and wary.
    You’ll see spearhouses out on the ice even before the lake freezes over which is crazy to me but it shows that you can get out there and ice fish pretty quickly. Something a lot of anglers don’t realize about the winter bite is that most every “hotspot” holds fish in the winter.
    “Hit the ice when it’s safe enough to do so and you can have a great deal of success in the early season,” said ice fishing expert Bryan “Beef” Sathre. A member of Rapala’s Ice Force, Sathre is an accomplished ice angler. “Don’t wait until there are cars driving around, get out there before that craziness ensues and experience a fantastic fishing experience,” he added.
    Even early season “community spots” are usually productive during early ice. When trucks are running all over the place, those community holes often get tapped out quickly, but that doesn’t happen usually during early ice.

Locations
    Shoreline breaks are probably the most consistent location to find fish through the ice though you can fish the inside and outside weedlines. “Early season ice fishing is a lot like early season open water fishing—the fish are deep, shallow and inbetween,” Sathre said. Jumbo perch will roam all over as will walleye and pike in each of these locations.
    Shallow doesn’t even begin to describe it. On a lot of bodies of water, you can hit the inside weed break and actually sight fish them in several feet of water cruising over the sand. “It is pretty freaky being able to see your jig under the ice and watching a walleye come in for a bite,” Sathre said.
    Getting on the ice as quickly as possible must be done safely and most anglers will walk out from the shoreline or park their ATV/snowmobile along the edge of the thicker ice and walk the rest of the way. Just realize that you don’t have to fish those midseason spots just yet.
    Sathre said some reliable shallow locations now and you might just discover a honeyhole that will last the rest of the winter. When other anglers are fishing the depths, you can have a great time in shallow water.
    The best weedlines are those that still have green cabbage or any kind of vegetation so long as it’s green. Usually in the early season there’s not a lot of snow cover so the weeds remain leafy green for quite some time.
    A group of anglers can thoroughly cover these areas for a variety of species by putting tip-ups along the weed edges and drilling holes in a triangle formation. One point of the triangle goes along the shallowest part of a spot you plan on fishing while the others can be along a deep shoreline break and the other point along an inside edge.
    Pop holes at the corners and at several locations inbetween so you can walk the perimeter trying to locate aggressive fish. Having the holes pre-drilled also helps save time and avoiding spooking the fish as conditions change.

Be prepared
    Show up to the ice ready to fish for several different scenarios. A recommendation is to have at least three rods pre-rigged for ease of transition. One rod is rigged for walleye with a jigging spoon. Another rod is rigged for deadsticking with a slip bobber. The third is set-up for perch or panfish as well as for finesse walleye presentations.
    Livebait is great and early season fish tend to be aggressive biters so full-sized golden shiners work great, even for perch. Another tremendous lure are soft plastic impulse baits that fish will hold onto but won’t fall apart after catching one fish. When an aggressive group of fish comes in, you can get back to them faster with soft plastics.
    A good quality flasher is a must have though there are times in the early season when an underwater camera with a nice LCD color screen is the only way to fly. Green weeds and bottom content transitions are easier to find with an underwater camera than a flasher.
    “When the ice is not very thick, sometimes a hand auger is the way to go versus working with a motorized auger. StrikeMaster’s new synthetic hand augers on the market are both more durable and lightweight than traditional all-metal models,” Sathre said.
    Safety equipment is also essential, not just during the early ice. Have ice cleats, hand-grips and rope on hand for emergency purposes and if you aren’t sure the ice is safe or not, and can’t find a reliable answer, err on the side of staying off until you can find out for sure.
    Bring that camera along as well to capture the trophies of the day before releasing them back to the lake. With most of the fish coming from the shallows, they are very releasable in most cases and can be safely done so provided you don’t let the gills ice up.
    “Keep hoping for cold weather and it won’t be long until that early ice bite is going crazy,” Sathre said.

Must haves: Don't leave the truck or deer stand without these

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:33:39 +0100

“It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

This adage never rings more true than when you are two miles in and attempting to settle into your bowhunting stand for the day. I chatted with my bowhunting buddy and expert Kurt Baumgartner to compare notes with our packing lists and this is what we came up with. These are items to strongly consider putting in your backpack, to avoid those “Dang-it” moments.

Toilet Paper – Yes you can cut the top of your socks off, but why resort to that.

Extra Release – No your fingers won’t do, believe me.

Laser Rangefinder – No not for the Deer, range rocks and trees around you.

Compact Binoculars – Is that a squirrel, or a Monster Buck? (usually a squirrel).

Extra Compact Flashlight – Admit it, it’s a little scary out there at night!

BIC Lighter – See extra flashlight.

Allen Wrench Multi-Tool – Lefty loosey / Righty tighty.

Extra Gloves – Single hunting gloves and missing socks from the dryer must hang out together.

Hand Warmer Packets – See missing Gloves.

Arm Guard – Don’t hit your arm? You will with a jacket on.

Face Net / Camo Makeup – Or your shiny face can watch deer run away.

Bow Sling – My bows not that heavy, for the first 100 yards.

Folding Saw – Can’t hit what you can’t see.

Pruning Shear – A snip here or there could make all the difference.

Pull up Cord - $1,000 bow hitting the ground from a 20 foot fall off your shoulder is no time saver.

Bow Hanger – See above.

Compass – Because the batteries in your GPS will fail and tall trees don’t always allow a satellite signal.

Cell Phone – Yes really. Or a two-way radio if you are out of range.

GPS – You can read the instruction manual while sitting in your stand.

Band-Aids – Because arrows are simply razors on a stick.

Wind Check Powder – Did it just change? Let’s check.

Water Bottle – Add water.

Candy Bars – Unless you are Bear hunting.

Flagging Tape – Of course for blood trailing, but in case you didn’t read the GPS instructions.

Knife – No it does not need to be big enough to gut an elephant.

Gutting Gloves – Walking into the gas station to use the bathroom, while looking like a mass murderer, is not cool.

5ft. of Rope – Because you can’t drag a Doe by the ears.

Hunting License – Really Mr. Game Warden it’s in my truck. (2 miles away)

This may seem like a lot of stuff but it will all fit nicely into an average backpack or multi-pocket fanny pack. There are a few other creature comforts that make an all day sit possible, but I would have had to include an ATV on the list, and that would require another list! Keep it simple but have the essentials and you’ll be a better prepared bowhunter.

PETA and the actual threats to hunting

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:20:37 +0100

Anti-hunters come in all shapes, sizes and political mindsets so don’t be quick to pigeon hole the anti-hunting movement or else you’ll miss half of those who would put an end to it one way or another.

Yeah, that’s right. In this world of polarization where political parties are working day and night to turn our self-governing processes into a sporting match between this side and that side, hunters have to keep things in perspective.

Hunting is under attack and it’s being attacked by more than just PETA and similarly minded groups.

Anti-hunters in Minnesota are working hard to block the state’s wolf hunt this fall and the anti-hunting movement is again showing signs of resorting to illegal methods of protest. That headline came through my inbox today stating that PETA is urging members to resort to illegal hunter harassment to push their views.

Organizations like PETA have gained a limited traction over the years on the public and while they are a powerful lobby, they are not the greatest threat to hunting in the nation.

Anti-hunting legislation makes for big headlines, but it’s still difficult to pass such measures because when you sit down and analyze the science, hunting is a proven means of controlling wildlife populations. When you analyze the numbers, hunting is cost-effective wildlife management not to mention an economic boom to state and local governments through tourism dollars, license fees and excise taxes.

Pro-hunting organizations keep legislators informed of this and work hard to promote the sport. I strongly urge hunters to support these organizations but it doesn’t end there.

Here’s a list of some of the gravest threats to hunting that are not PETA (or another specifically anti-hunting organization):

Suburban sprawl: When everybody has a 10-acre lot and doesn’t like the sound of wingshooters at 7 a.m. local city councils pass discharge ordinances, effectively ending hunting over hundreds of thousands of acres of land.
Drill, dig and drain: Oil, minerals and food are essentials of our modern life but just like we are spending outside of our means, we are expending resources outside of our means. How can people oppose government spending while at the same time supporting activities that are harmful to valuable wildlife habitat. This is the result of “Us vs. Them” politics where either you are for us or against us. You can rag on “tree huggers” but it’s tough to climb into a treestand without doing it. If you hunt, you are a tree hugger. Get over it and push for sustainable drilling, sustainable mining and sustainable agriculture that doesn’t drain wetlands or involve drain tile.
Anti-government gibberish: The Tea Party couldn’t be more wrong. Government is not our enemy. If conservationists hadn’t pushed the government to act in the early 20th century to preserve large swaths of land, what would we have left today? A lot of Republicans are unfairly painted as anti-tax, anti-government zealots but this is just simply not the case. At Game Fair this summer I witnessed a massive gathering of Republicans (and Democrats) publicly praise a tax. The Pittman-Robertson Excise Tax has raised billions of dollars for conservation and is credited with being the primary savior of white-tailed deer, Canada geese, wild turkey and wood ducks, all of which were on the brink of extinction a century ago. Let’s get past the anti-government rhetoric and have some serious discussions over what needs to be done.
Trophy Mindset: If you celebrate a six-inch bluegill you must be a loser. If you shoot a doe or forkhorn you are a wimpy hunter. You didn’t shoot your limit? What a waste. Somehow, we’ve confused celebrating a trophy that might be once-in-a-lifetime with the need to show-off. So you have a wall of trophy deer, that’s great. But if they all came from a 500-acre plot of land you purchased and restrict others from using and manage multiple food plots, don’t call yourself a great hunter, call yourself a great shepherd. Modern hunting is about the experience, it’s about the journey. When we hunted for a living the kill was the trophy, no matter what it was. Today we can get meat anywhere we want but the pursuit of game remains the reason for the sport. When you cheapen the result you cheapen the experience, it diminishes and then it disappears.
Bad manners: The final one is related to number four in a way but it goes beyond that. If you are going hunting, invite somebody who hasn’t gone or doesn’t have the opportunity to go. Not every time you hunt, but at least once or twice per season you participate in. This is called sharing. If you own hundreds of acres of land that you worked hard to earn, that’s great, but consider allowing others to utilize a small part of it. If they don’t respect the boundaries you establish, don’t invite them back. How is this anti-hunting? When you don’t share, when you don’t bring others to the table, they don’t get to have those experiences. Charity is a universal value as is sharing.

Certainly there are other threats to hunting. What are your thoughts? In what ways is hunting being degraded as you see it? Where have I misspoken or misrepresented my own case? Your feedback is valued to continue this discussion.

(Originally published in www.outdoornews.com)

Scent control - can I really be scent free?

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 04:00:47 +0100

In Bowhunting it’s all about getting as close to game as you possibly can. A 30-yard shot at the range may seem easy enough, but may look impossible in the wooded or brushy situations, that most hunters regularly encounter.

So what can you do to shorten the distance for that slamdunk opportunity? Try to eliminate and reduce as much human and foreign odors on you and your equipment as you can.

Now, is it possible to be totally scent free as some manufacturers of “Scent Control” products claim? In all reality not really, but we can reduce and eliminate game alerting scent to a level that will allow a hunter, with the right wind conditions to get closer shot opportunities.

Here are some things to consider:

Skin, Hair & Body – It won’t matter if you have washed all you clothing if you haven’t washed yourself first. Take a pre-hunt shower or sponge bath using a quality body soap. A good lather, and complete rinseability is the key here. You do not want to leave behind any soap residue that will hold redeveloping odors. Residue free means scent free longer. Even if you can’t smell the left over soap residue, a deer probably can. There are several products on the market that deliver these features.

Clothing – It’s not enough to just wash your clothing in scent-free soap, said Kurt Baumgartner, a bowhunting friend of mine. He said it’s a must to use a detergent without UV brighteners that is exclusively designed to rinse 100% residue free. Remember, wash all your clothing that you will be wearing into the field, this means t-shirts, underwear and socks, as well. Just putting cleaned outer garments over these often forgotten undergarments means game animals giving you a wide path.

Gear – Spray your backpack, fannypack, hat, gloves, release strap, bow sling, binocular straps, head net, etc with a scent eliminator. Don’t overlook these items, scent kill them ahead of time. A scent eliminating spray is a must have in the field as well. Touching up in the field is always a good thing, especially after a long walk to a stand, or during a spot and stalk.

Footwear – Rubber? Neoprene? Leather, Cordura? What should I wear? You can successfully wear any, or a combination of these materials if they are scent treated before heading into the field. Any type of boot needs to be liberally sprayed down with scent elimination spray, (even rubber). Remember this is your main contact with the environment as you move about the woods and fields. Spray the entire boot and don’t forget the bottoms. Tuck or not to tuck? You will get opinions for both, but remember a pant leg tucked into a “knee high” rubber or neoprene boot is ripe to become a stinky scent wick if your legs and feet sweat inside your boots.

The final thing to remember is that while scent elimination works, it does not guarantee that you will kill a deer. So many times you hear people complain that they used this and used that and didn’t kill anything better. You still need to conduct quality scouting, you still need to sit still and smart while you are hunting and you need to be a good shot.

Minnesota’s four-bluebill limit opens opportunities for hunting divers this season

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:14:30 +0100

One of the greatest Midwestern waterfowling traditions is the pursuit of diving ducks. Geese and puddle ducks are a ton of fun, but there is a mystique around diving ducks that is uniquely Midwestern.

    When I think of hunting for divers I picture the classic Les Kouba painting where the sky is gray, the water is churned and the reeds are bent by the wind. Making that image complete is a group of divers coming in, wings cupped, committed to the spread.
    It could be any of the diving duck breeds including: canvasback, redhead, ring-necks, buffleheads, goldeneye or the ever-popular scaup (otherwise known as bluebill). Next to the wood duck and mallard, the bluebill is probably the breed of waterfowl most commonly featured in paintings and photographs.     Reality seldom matches that imagery, but however you go about it, hunting for diving ducks is something every diehard waterfowler should do at least half a dozen times in their life.
    Similar to field hunting and puddle duck hunting, there are some specifics one must consider for a successful hunt.

Diver locations

    Most breeds of divers dine on invertebrates and fish while a few, like canvasbacks and redheads, dine on aquatic vegetation like wild celery. The best place to hunt is on water where food sources such as these are prevalent.
    With a few exceptions, most of the diving ducks you’ll come across in the blind are migrants on their way from summer nesting grounds in Canada to one of the coasts. They migrate high in the air making stops along the way to feed, which is why it pays to find lakes and rivers with plenty of food.
    Once you’ve located a feeding ground, it’s time to do some scouting to find out what part of the lake they are using. Divers like small water like rivers and ponds but they love big water. A lake I hunt on is around 500 acres in size and the largest of its kind in that county qualifying it as “big water.”
    That said, the big lakes of of the north are generally excellent bluebill waters. Lakes like Winnibigoshish in Minnesota, Winnebago in Wisconsin and Devil’s Lake in North Dakota are places where you’ll often find massive collections of these birds, often referred to as “rafts” because they resemble a large floating raft midlake.
    Don’t overlook the Mississippi River, especially when it become a big river south of the Twin Cities. Small ponds with good vegetation and invertebrates adjacent to big water are often excellent locations as well, provided you can access them and gain permission to hunt.
    As always, conduct as much scouting as you can before hunting. What part of the lake are they feeding on? What routes do they use from one body of water to another? Where does their flight pattern intersect an area where you should be set up?

How to hunt

I balance my hunting style with the location of my hunt. At some locations, I hunt out of a boat blind. Other locations I’ll park the boat a distance away and sit along the shoreline among rocks or deadfalls for concealment. If there are reeds and a solid lake bottom, I love hopping out of the boat and standing in the reeds much like you would field hunting from standing crops.

Layout boats are another option and something I’m excited to try out this year is the Hobie Pro Angler with a ghillie blind. This large kayak is driven by pedals meaning I’ll be able have my hands free while I head to my location and toss out decoys.
Speaking of decoys, this is what makes or breaks your diving duck hunting. Divers aren’t as impressed by calling but they respond magnificently to an effective decoy spread.

Decoy spread

If a diver has ever buzzed you, you know that they can sound like supersonic jets cruising overhead. Much like an airplane diving ducks like relatively straight lines.

Whether I’m going light with a dozen decoys, or trying to make the water in front of me resemble a refuge, I always set up some lines of ducks to serve as beacons to incoming divers. The best way to do this is to create a what’s called a “gang-rig” either by doing it yourself or purchasing one already rigged up like one offered by Rig’Rm Right.

My diver spread consists of anywhere from a dozen up to five-dozen decoys of a mixed batch. I like to use canvasbacks on the outside of my lines because their mostly-white bodies stand out and serve as an attention getter.

The rest of my spread is filled with bluebill decoys. If I add a tight grouping of diving ducks in addition to my lines, I’ll do so with other breeds like goldeneyes and buffleheads.

Most hunters run straight lines but I like to run a J-shape or a hook. Divers will follow that long line and then land in the hook where I’m waiting nearby. Don’t sit in the J, rather, set up off to the side. This prevents the likelihood of the ducks looking at the boat so that when I am calling, the ducks don’t look straight at me because they are focused on the decoys.

I put upwards of a dozen decoys on each line and use a three-pound grapnel anchor to secure it. This will hold my decoys in place no matter the wind, waves or weather.

You can use anywhere from one to five or more decoy lines, but keep in mind that early in the season you don’t need that many out. If a late season diver hunt were in your future, then it would be best to put out a lot of decoys because those ducks are a bit more educated.

Ducks are different, conditions are different and every lake has its own way of things working out. For all those reasons, you have to watch what the ducks are doing and adjust accordingly.
If those divers aren’t hooking into your hole or working down your lines after the first few flights you need to adjust. Don’t wait because waiting means more of the same. Either pull your decoys closer to the blind, angle the curving line more, or reposition yourself and your boat.

Add motion

    Most of the time, hunting divers means hunting water where the word calm is seldom used to explain the water conditions. On smaller lakes, and mirror calm days on those big lakes, there’s the need to create a commotion on the water. It only takes a handful of ducks on a calm lake to generate ripples in real life and a jerk rig creates that illusion.
    Electronic devices can be helpful, but one of the best tools is also one of the simplest. A simple jerk rig either that you make yourself or purchase from a company like Rig’Em Right allows you the ability to give your decoys movement from your boat at anytime.
    In the end, don’t ever forget that the primary function of gang-rigs, jerk rigs, decoy lines and everything else is to get their attention as they fly by. Catch their attention on their way from here to there and you’ll get to do plenty of shooting.

Buffleheads are diving ducks that nicely round out that six-bird limit

Teaching kids to read the woods, the water and the writing on the wall

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:09:58 +0100

A lot has been written over the years regarding taking children into the outdoors with you. The benefits are immeasurable and benefit the sport as well as the resource.
This blog is more widespread than that. I’m encouraging parents to get their kids aware of their surroundings whether in the outdoors or on a road trip.

The author with his four-year-old son, his father and his dog Maddy

   As a teacher of 15 years, I’ve seen a lot of kids come and go. It’s amazing to me that some kids seem to be totally tuned out when they are on a road trip or driving around their local community.
    If you are driving by Lake Mille Lacs, tell your kid to turn away from the DVD screen and look out the window. There’s a lot to see and absorb. If you drive by the Mississippi River, have them look at it and ask them what they see. Skills of observation are a lifelong necessity that parents need to teach and reinforce.
    Like the Simon and Garfunkel line says, “When I think back on all the crap I learned in High School….it’s a wonder I can think at all.”
    School teaches children a whole lot but parents should be teaching their children so much more. How do they do it? Talk with your kids. Ask them questions. Make observations and share your own knowledge experiences and ask your children about theirs.
    As you drive by that Mississippi River, share something you’ve learned over the years. Before you go on a road trip or a vacation, do some research (preferably together) and find out what you will be driving through and around.
    The city of Duluth is a fantastic example. There’s so much that can be taught around this city. It’s the furthest inland port in the country. It’s an access point to the entire world. Duluth’s Park Point is very historic and has a fantastic story of how it was illegally made by citizens looking to ace out their rivals to the east. Take that Souptown!
    You can include historical sites and museums in your road trip if you have time, but you don’t even have to pull the car over to teach a volume of information. Watch for animals, notice birds, talk about plants, trees and flowers you see as you speed by at 65 miles an hour.
    Our kids are becoming increasingly disjointed with the world and not always able to see connections that are all around them. Schools can and need to do more…but kids are with their parents so much more of the time.
    Don’t let those teachable moments pass you by. Be that awesome educator in your child’s own life.
    Like the rest of that song tells us, “Though my lack of education hasn’t hurt me none…I can read the writing on the wall.”

Advice from John Luttrell on bringing that young puppy duck hunting for the first time

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:24:41 +0100

    The waterfowling seasons are just around the corner and it is a special time of the year—especially if you have a new dog to introduce to the sport. I remember my first hunting trip with my lab and it was a special occasion.
    Taking your dog on that first duck hunting trip is a big deal and you want to make it something your dog is going to want to do over and over again. Doing this properly is a bit more complicated than heading out into the blind and having a go at it.

    I recently chatted with John Luttrell of Luttrell Kennels in Clark, S.D. Luttrell is a native Minnesotan who has a lot of loyal clients in his home state and is definitely worth a call. He is the dog trainer and breeder who I got my dog from and is a fountain of knowledge.
    “First of all, Luttrell said, “Don’t take your dog hunting until they have been broken in with the gun. I do this at five months old after they lose their puppy teeth. As a general rule, the younger the dog the less you can expect it to do.”
    When you take a kid fishing for the first time you don’t go chasing muskies with little chance at some hot action — you take them dock fishing for sunnies. The same applies when taking your dog out for the first time. You want to set up an easy hunt that will keep both yours and your dog’s frustration level low.
    One of the best ways he said to do this is to take a buddy along with you so they can do the shooting while you do the dog handling. Leave your gun in the truck and have your buddy shoot some ducks for your dog. Make sure your buddy shoots singles for the first few passes.
    “There’s nothing more frustrating for a dog, especially a rookie, than trying to locate three or four birds among a spread of decoys. Don’t forget to take a few rocks along with you so you can help the dog find the duck. Throwing rocks near the downed duck is a lot cheaper than throwing shotgun shells,” Luttrell said.



    Dogs can get frustrated, but way more often the owner’s are the one who get frustrated enough to ruin a hunt. Don’t expect perfection and keep it fun for the dog. More than a few dogs have been ruined their first time out because they were wonked on the head with a paddle because they wouldn’t sit still.
    Don’t forget to take along a dummy for your decoy bag so that you can keep your pup active when the ducks aren’t flying. Sitting in a cold blind or boat all day long is only fun after you’ve done it a few times and know that there’s more to the experience.
    Taking the time to set up an early hunt and doing it the right way is going to pay huge dividends down the road even though you’ll never get to take a shot yourself. Just remember, you aren’t doing this one for yourself, you are doing it for your new hunting partner.
    “Look at it as an investment in your duck hunting future,” Luttrell said.

Details critical for early season goose hunting success

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:13:17 +0100

    Early goose season is one of my most favorite hunting times in the year. Not only is it the first waterfowling opportunity of he year, it is also a great time to get the cobwebs out of your hunting system.
    This is not a gentleman’s hunt, however. In order to be successful during the early season you have to be willing to put in the time. There are two areas in which so many hunters make mistakes and those are with scouting and concealment.
    Scouting is all about finding the birds while concealment is about getting close enough for an opportunity at a kill. Take care of those critical details, and other details like decoying; calling and flagging are all you have to worry about. Ignore those details and all those other things won’t make much of a difference.

Scouting is key

    Take a fully loaded boat, pack it full of fishing gear, and plop it in the middle of an Olympic pool and you won’t catch a dang thing. It seems obvious, but quality scouting is the number one element ignored by so many waterfowlers— especially early season goose hunters.
    Yes, it is the first waterfowling opportunity of the year. Yes, there are a lot of juvenile birds flying around that have never seen a hunter in their lives. These birds are highly conditioned, however, and have an established pattern of behavior. They like the fields they visit everyday and if you aren’t in that field they aren’t going to come and find you.
    I I begin scouting for this season back in July and have watched the flocks moving from their roosts on the water to their favorite fields. I’ll do this several times a week on my way here or there just to see where they are going and where the geese are coming from.
    It is important to locate the roost as well because if you hunt within half a mile, you are taking a chance. Hunters who shoot the roost completely ruin an area for the season. With an early duck season this year on top of all that, you could ruin a great spot for the rest of the year.
    Resident geese have a definite pattern and you can almost set your clock by their daily patterns. Keep a mental note or written record of where you are seeing geese and when.
    It always amazes me that geese will fly over acres and acres of field and quality habitat to get to their favorite field. Hunt the wrong field, and you’ll watch a lot of birds fly by out of range. Hunt the right field, and you’ll have an awesome experience.
    Finding that “X” on the map is not easy but the advantage of early season goose hunting over the regular season is because you are dealing with completely resident birds. The geese know the area, they know human patterns, they know the fields with the best food and they know the fields to avoid.
    Hunt a field quickly and then get out of there so you can hunt it again. A lot of hunters will go to that “X” on the map, have an awesome hunt, and then take their time basking in the glory. Meanwhile, those geese have visited other fields, been fired upon a few more times, and are heading back to their roosting pond. On the way back they’ll often stop by their favorite spot to check on it after a rough morning. If you are sitting in that field, chances are they won’t return.
    Leave the area quickly, and you have a field that is preserved for another hunt. I’ve done this with some fields throughout the entire early goose season. Those birds would be shot at in the morning, but would return later on that morning to feed for a few hours. Because I only hunted in the morning, and not everyday of the week, the available food in that hay field was enough to bring them back in the afternoon. Those geese then spent hours feeding only to return the next morning for some more hunting action.
    One of the toughest parts of scouting is not finding the field to hunt, but gaining permission to hunt that field. It takes an awkward first conversation but once most farmers realize you aren’t interested in the deer on their property they are happy to reduce the size of the goose population.
    Always be a gracious guest and clean up your mess, don’t dig holes, and respect the land. Offer the farmer a share of the kill or even the opportunity to hunt with you. I’ll also bring over some frozen walleye fillets in the middle of the summer on one of my scouting trips just to remind the farmer that I’m appreciative of the opportunity.

    Concealment

    Probably the second most important factor to a successful early season goose hunt is concealment. All that scouting won’t pay off if the birds eyeball you before ever engaging that firing pin.
    Concealment includes a good decoy spread, but it’s mostly about making you invisible from the geese up in the air. If you do not have your blind or pit completely covered, the geese will take notice. This means using an ample amount of surrounding vegetation, or artificial vegetation that matches the field you are in.
    There are a lot of quality blinds on the market but the one I’m most excited about is Beavertail’s Gunner blind. I like the spring-loaded back rest that allows me to concentrate more on lining up your shot and less on getting into position when its “go” time. It also has a low profile, which is critical for maintaining concealment.
    If you buy a new blind be sure to give it a thorough mudding. If you have an old blind but haven’t yet given it a mudding then this applies to you as well. That shiny new blind looks good in the store but it also shows up prominently from the sky. Time to mess up your new purchase!
    I’ll take a five-gallon bucket, fill it up halfway with dirt, finish filling it with water and use a broom like a mop. Dip the broom in the bucket and scrub the blind. Give it a good coating of mud and the let it sit for the night. In the morning, once the mud has dried, knock the big chunks off and you have a fully mudded blind.
    Do not neglect doing this with your dog’s blind either. It might be small and compact, but a non-mudded dog blind will stick out like a sore thumb against an otherwise high quality decoy spread.
    Early season goose hunting is a great time to check some of the dog training you did over the summer in a real hunting scenario. Finding problems now should help with any that arise down the road.
    I like a good low-profile dog blind that retains an opening but is portable enough to match the rest of my gear. I like the Field Bully dog blind by Rig’Em Right because it has a low profile, is easy to set up and has straps perfect for concealment.
    Accurate scouting and thorough concealment are the two most important factors to a successful hunt and once you have them figured out, you can deal with more interesting things like flagging, calling and decoying.
    There are so many different ways to effectively do each one, the main advice here is go for it and experiment. If you’ve truly addressed concealment and put yourself on that “X” on the map, then you can become a better waterfowler with those other details.

The shootin'est time of year

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 03:55:03 +0100

By RON HUSTVEDT JR.

    The end of August is near and you can almost hear the shotguns and rifles getting excited in their gun safes, cases and back end of closets. If you can’t hear it then perhaps it’s time you dusted off that trusty firearm and gave it a little pre-season workout.
    This is one of my most favorite times of the year because we are on the verge of the fall and early winter hunting seasons. That summer shooting league I meant to join and those trips to the range I put off suddenly have some urgency to them.
    Every time I visit the range I am reminded by how much fun it is just to shoot for recreation. In my opinion, trapshooting, skeet and sporting clays are a much better way to spend money than golfing. I’ve never been much of a golfer anyways, but even the worst day of shooting beats the best day of golf.
    If you haven’t kept up with your shooting this summer, then this is a great time to find that gun range near your house and get into shape. Bring the shotgun out, buy a case of target load shells, and commit yourself to not hunting until you’ve blown through all of them.
    Practicing your shooting is critical for avoiding embarrassing situations like that miss on an “easy” shot. It’s also an essential part of being a true conservationist. It’s a waste of an animal to make a less than lethal shot that can lead to unnecessary suffering. Anti-hunters love inaccurate shooters because they make the sport look bad in the eyes of others.
    On a selfish note, being a good shot makes hunting a much more enjoyable experience. Few people feel good lobbing three rounds of steel shot into the lake with nothing to show. At a dollar a shell, on average, those range fees quickly pay for themselves when you pound out a double on three shots.
    Not only that, but the impressed applause you receive from the others in your hunting party provides for an added bonus. An inflated sense of self is not to be underrated!

    In the past week, I’ve shot two rounds of skeet at the LakeShore Conservation Club near Brainerd and two rounds of five-stand sporting clays at Hunts Point near Pequot Lakes. Total investment of time? Just over an hour. Improvement of confidence for the fall? Tremendous. Cost? For everything from shells to range fees and gas costs, about $100.
    My Dad came along with me so that only added to the fun and at the skeet range, my kids hung around near the clubhouse under the watchful eye of their grandmother. A two-year-old and four-year-old are hardly ready to shoot just yet but being around it, seeing it in action and learning gun safety are valuable experiences.
    Now when the calendar hits September, and the opening morning of the early goose season arrives, I’ll definitely be a better shot and have more confidence in my ability to knock down a few feathered cows.

    A few more trips to the range are definitely in store. There’s also the need to put a dozen or so rounds through the deer rifle and get the muzzleloader in shape as well. The time it takes is minimal as is the cost, but the payoff and fun is well worth it.
    See you at the gun range and on this website on a weekly basis.

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